


My only sunshine

by Cataraction



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: M/M, Sadness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-09
Updated: 2015-04-09
Packaged: 2018-03-22 03:18:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3712837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cataraction/pseuds/Cataraction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rhett's known Link since they were in first grade. Given enough time, anyone can fall in love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	My only sunshine

**Author's Note:**

> Based on that classic song "My Only Sunshine". Sadness ensues!

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine

The young blond sat inside the empty classroom although he felt he should be outside playing with the other first graders. Rhett had been kept in at recess for writing swears on his desk. At first he thought it was funny, but now that he was stuck inside, he wasn’t so sure. However, he wasn’t completely alone. Sitting in the desk next to him was a young, brunette haired boy named Link who had been kept in for the same reason. Rhett strained his neck to try and catch a glimpse of what the other boy was coloring. To keep their minds busy during their temporary detention, they had been given coloring pages to complete and hand in after recess. Link caught Rhett peeking and gave him a broad smile, checkered with blank spaces where baby teeth once were.   
“Hi, my name’s Link! You’re Rhett, right?” Rhett nodded.  
“Yeah. What’re you coloring?” Link held up the page to show a printed outline of a unicorn that was colored surprisingly neatly for a first grader.   
“It’s a mythical beast!” Link’s voice was perpetually full of excitement. “What about you?” Rhett peered down at his page where the image of a Sasquatch was hastily colored in with brown crayons. He held it up to show Link, who gasped in delight.  
“It’s another mythical beast, that’s super cool!” Rhett cracked a smile and thanked the other boy. Just as he was about to return to coloring, the small brunette interrupted him.   
“Hey, do you wanna be my friend?” Rhett stared up for only a few seconds before grinning and nodding his head. 

“Sure.” Link smiled wide at his new friend before they both returned to their respective pictures.

You make me happy when skies are gray

The coach’s whistle blew and the class of middle schoolers was released from the gym to go change for their next class. Rhett and Link made their way to the changing room nearly connected at the hip, as they normally were. Link laughed at something Rhett had said, and Rhett smiled back. He always did love Link’s giant, toothy grin. They quickly opened their respective lockers and plucked pieces of clothing out of them before stripping out of their sweaty gym attire. Rhett had pulled his pants on before he peered over to Link, who was doing up the button on the front on his jeans. Rhett scanned the entirety of his torso, the large expanse of hairless, slightly tanned skin laid over a lean physique. He felt a blush creeping up his cheeks before he heard a familiar voice calling to him.   
“Hey, Rhett, what’cha doing?” 

Link peered up at his friend. Rhett stared wide-eyed at the shorter man before stammering for an answer. 

“Don’t stare man, it’s super creepy and gay.”   
Rhett’s gaze fell to the ground quickly as he mumbled out a ‘sorry’ under his breath before turning away from Link and slipping his shirt over his head. The two left the locker room together and drifted apart to attend their respective classes. 

You’ll never know dear, how much I love you

 

The tall blond paced in the tiny dorm room, his brain running at a million miles a minute as he tried to summon up what he was going to say when his room mate and best friend returned. He had been planning on telling him all week, but now that the end of the semester was bearing down on him, he knew he had to say it now. The doorknob turned and Rhett stopped dead in his tracks as Link stepped in, flinging his book-bag to a corner of the room. His gaze finally caught Rhett in the middle of the room, standing there stock still with a somewhat uncomfortable expression. Link stared as he tried to read what his friend was thinking; having been friends for so long, they could read each other pretty easily. However, as well as he knew the blond, all he could gather was that Rhett was nervous.   
“Hey big guy, what’s wrong?” 

Rhett swallowed hard as he tried to clear the lump in his throat. He attempted to start saying something, anything, but the speed at which his mind was racing far out ran how fast he could move his mouth. Link watched as his friend stammered about nothing at all whilst heavily gesturing with his hands, as if to further explain his point. The awkward silence was finally broken by Link.

“Man, just say something, you’re kinda freaking me out.” 

Rhett paused for a moment as if to gather his thoughts and attempted again. He managed to get out parts of sentences but would stop himself to rethink and rearrange what he was saying. Link let out a frustrated sigh before trying to push past the taller man. 

“Listen, when you get your shit together, let me know.”

Rhett snatched Link’s forearm in his massive hand and pulled him to face him. Link stared up in confusion and Rhett stared back into those perfect blue eyes. He chewed on his lip for a moment as he sucked in a heavy breath, his chest tight with anxiety. 

“Link, I have to tell you something very important. Promise me you won’t take it lightly.” Rhett’s voice was low, sincere. Link felt the urgency in his voice and nodded.

“I promise.” Rhett sucked in another heavy breath and finally let out a torrent of words. Explaining how since they were in middle school he thought he felt something more for him. He wrote it off for a very long time and finally, he needed to come out and say it. 

“I know it all sounds crazy and stupid but, Link, I-“ His breath caught in his throat. “I love you.” 

There was a moment of silence as those three words hung in the air, polluting it with the years of pent up energy that had followed them. Rhett’s heart was nearly pounding out of his chest as he searched Link’s eyes for any reaction at all. So far all he saw was something akin to shock. Link was putting the pieces together. All the times they had been changing and he had caught Rhett staring, the times he seemed jealous whenever Link would date another girl. The weird instances Link had been writing off as nothing but Rhett being himself cemented into place with this new piece of information being the glue holding it all together. His expression shifted into something harder, eyebrows furrowing and his mouth becoming a firm line. He started for the door and managed to pick up his bag before a hand stopped him on his shoulder. He wrenched away from the grasp and turned towards Rhett, his face a mask of disgust. Rhett’s heart dropped in the moment he saw the look his best friend gave him.

“Please, Link. Don’t do this.” 

“You should have kept this to yourself, Rhett.” 

Link’s tone was harsh and quiet. 

“By the time we come back for next semester, you better’ve forgotten this whole thing. Until then, I ain’t rooming with you.” 

With that Link stormed from the dorm, letting the door’s slam put an exclamation point on his words. Rhett’s outstretched arm dropped to his side and his face and heart sunk. His hands hung by his sides as he clenched them into fists. He was nauseas and could have vomited from the pent up anxiety and sudden wave of realization. His world was crashing around him as he allowed the reality to sink in. Not only had he been rejected horribly but also he could have permanently scarred his relationship with his best friend. Tears welled up and burnt his eyes terribly and his lip began to tremble. He pressed the palms of his hands into his eye sockets and let out a trembling sob as his knees gave out from under him. He dropped to his knees and doubled over, curling into a ball. Images of the past flashed in his mind as he remembered all the great times he’d had with Link, all the times they laughed and did stupid things together. He reminisced over his best friend’s smile, his laugh, his eyes, and his lips, his everything. That’s all Link ever was to Rhett; his everything. Now, he sat crumpled and forgotten by the only everything he ever had. He wished he could have taken it all back, kept his feelings to himself and left it at that. Instead, he let the floodgates of his heart open and instead of opening himself up; Link shut him down harder than he ever knew. Tears and snot ran off of Rhett’s hands and despite his best efforts, began to soak into the carpet below as he let out a shaky cry that tapered off into trembling sobs. 

Please don’t take my sunshine away.


End file.
